Good questions, and I hope someone on the pro-side of the issue will have answers, but I'm guessing optimum growing conditions, oodles of carefully applied fertilizer and strict light/dark and optimum temperatures (and probably a few trade secrets we'll never hear about). I'm also curious how they can get plants to grow so lush and beautiful in that nasty potting mix most come in. How? Also, how come they achieve a greater degree of variegation than is ever again achieved in the home growing environment, even with high light? Hopefully, someone here will know. . . .

optimal conditions of light temperature humidity and expertise.

Best lighting conditions, best watering conditions; everything is consistent, stable, with very little variation. Constant fertilizer. You should see how big plants in good aquaponic systems get. ;)

I work at a place that buy plants off a wholesale greenhouse. It's a lot harder to keep stuff taken care of when you're not in a greenhouse that remains consistent. I would assume it's just light watering, with enough heat/humidity to let the plants try out at certain intervals.

I read somewhere that they use a type of chemical (or something) to induce blooming or something like that.

Greenhouses always smell so good

Think you are right, Blubs. I thought there was some sort or blooming hormone, not available to the public, that could do this. I would be really curious about the extreme humidity level and light requirements needed for that monster pothos I saw. I have never seen pothos leaves as big as my hands, and the tag clearly said "golden pothos." I wanted to buy the thing but it was so huge I would have felt bad if I killed it unintentionally, as I am prone to do.

You can get big leaves on a pothos by growing it up stake or pole placed in the pot. And there is bloom inducing hormones used, one is called "Gibberellins".

Here is a photo of a plant that was treated with to much GA

Wow. Now that is just downright strange looking.

Nurseries do some really odd things to plants, like irradiating them to force mutations and different cultivars. I'm not judging; I'm glad they do because I love different variations on plants I already love living with. Makes the excuse of having multiples of something like pothos plausible. :-) It's just interesting reading about exactly what they do to achieve what they achieve that's so interesting, like the gigantic growth, the heavier variegation, the new growth patterns, colors, size, etc. Guess, like an illusionist's "tricks," they're just a trade secret. Maybe someday someone in the trade will come by and clear up some of these burning questions.

wow, I did not know that! And to think I was considering looking for one of those new glow in the dark plants, not now! LOL!!

Glow in the dark plants? What?!

Yeah, I think there were some glow in the dark sansevierias.

Here is a link about them.

Glow in the dark sansevieria

Oh, it's just a coating they put on the plants. That's kinda sad. It's like those bright blue, and pink spray painted cacti at Walmart.

I thought they did something like how they did the glo fish. In which they change the genes (or add a gene, i forget) of a zebra Danio then the resulting eggs hatch and come out neon. It has no affect on the health of the fish and I beleive it's passed down.

If they did something like that to plants now that would be neat.

hi

I once visited the wholesale GH "Costa color " just south of Miami Among the most awe inspiring were 25,000 bromeliads 15000 phal orchids , per month !!! If I try really really hard I can get at least 10 of each per year lol

Total production was around 2 million per year of around 3000 species!!!

I concluded they knew what they were doing?? lol gary

no, they are experimenting on a genetic manipulation that creates bio-luminescence

Oh, I don't doubt that some sellers are painting plants with glow in the dark paint, I've seen Gasteraloe this year in most of the BBS that are painted with some sick pink or blue paint. A practice I despise! But there is also a bio- luminescence they are working on.

I wish they would invent more very low light plants. Then everyone could create a "living wall" anywhere in the home. Great for oxygen and overall better mental health. A lot of the indoor systems I see so far are set up with fluorescent lighting, which is fine, but I'm not sure it is that ideal for the plant. I get a little sad seeing pothos plants in the office under those garish fluorescents that never turn off!

Love this example, though:

http://www.greenovergrey.com/living-walls/overview.php

Really? What a strange world.

Living walls are really neat. It would be neat to have one, but like you said there's only so much sun! It would be so weird to grow something like a Hibiscus or Cactus perfectly well in a room with only a North facing window.

(forgive the typos, having to use my phone and my hands are too big for the screen. )